1. Field of the invention
This invention relates, generally, to devices for shielding the human face. More particularly, it relates to a face shield that is releasably attachable to a pair of spectacles.
2. Description of the prior art
Face shields are now in common use by healthcare personnel who want to prevent blood or other body fluids from splashing onto their face. Numerous designs have been developed, but the known designs are either built into a helmet or other head gear, or are substantially permanently attached to a pair of spectacles.
Typical face shields of complex construction are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,821,340, 4,843,643, 4,924,526, and 4,945,573 .
The device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,924,526 includes a transparent shield that must be attached to a pair of spectacles or a spectacle substitute having no lens. Attachment of the shield to the spectacles requires a permanent modification of the spectacles, and a tool must be used to replace the shield if it becomes cracked or soiled; thus, quick and trouble-free replacement of the shield is not provided. Moreover, the shield is mounted at a fixed, non-adjustable distance from the wearer's face.
In other known shield assemblies, the shield part thereof is an integral part of the device; thus, if the shield becomes cracked or splattered with fluids, the entire unit must be discarded. Thus, there remains a need for an adjustable face shield that includes a detachable shield part that can be replaced as needed. Moreover, the replacement task, ideally, should be easy, quickly accomplished, and should not require the use of tools.
At the time the present invention was made, the prior art, when considered as a whole, neither taught nor suggested to those of ordinary skill in this art how the needed face shield could be provided.